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What Love is This

You never change, you are the God you say you are; When I’m afraid you calm and still my beating heart. You stay the same, when hope is just a distant thought, You take my pain and you lead me to the cross

What love is this, that you gave your life for me And made a way for me to know you And I confess you’re always enough for me you’re all I need

We are just a few days into Lent. I have always looked at Lent as a special time of year, almost a Sabbath for the year. We spend 40 days looking to the cross. Many Christians fast during this time, and this year I have selected sugar to fast from. As a family, we are fasting from our fast food habit. But I think there is something much more important than fasting- a redirection of my thoughts. I am intentionally pressing in to God during this season. I am coming away from the world, and taking a pause from the stresses of life.

I look to you, I see the scars upon your hands. And hold the truth, that when I can’t you always can. And standing here beneath the shadow of the cross. I’m overwhelmed that I keep finding open arms.

I’m reflecting this 40 days about all of the ways that God has opened His arms to me over, and over, and over again. That is the message this season. That no matter what I do, His arms are still open to me. That it is ok for me to not be perfect, because He is on that cross for me. I know that when I feel that familiar overwhelm, that voice inside me that says, “I can’t”, He always can.

What love is this that you gave your life for me And made a way for me to know you And I confess, you’re always enough for me You’re all I need

We are surrounded by consumption. We think we need more more more. We live in houses full of stuff. I’m releasing the stuff of my life, and confessing that Jesus is enough for me.

Jesus in your suffering you were reaching, you thought of me Jesus in your suffering you were reaching, you thought of me

What love is this, that you gave your life for me And made a way for me to know you And I confess, you’re always enough for me You’re all I need

When I feel the need to buy that donut- Jesus is enough. When I feel the need to get on amazon (2 day prime delivery is dangerous), Jesus is enough. When I feel lonely- Jesus is enough. When I can’t go on- Jesus is enough.

Yesterday was a particularly difficult day with one of my children. He has a lot of outbursts and can get very angry over very little and stay that way a long time. When this happens he will sometimes tell us things like, “I wish you weren’t my mom”, or “I wish I wasn’t your son”. When we’re in the midst of hours of this type of thing being yelled at us from his room it’s easy to want to give up. And yesterday I was in that place. I spent some time in my room where I couldn’t hear him as much. I tried to interact with him as little as possible, because it would only lead to both of us saying things we didn’t mean. There were times I interacted when I shouldn’t have. These days don’t happen very often, but when they do, it is incredibly difficult. I love that boy with everything in my soul. It hurts me to hear those things, but it hurts more to know those things come from pain that I didn’t put there. Pain that I can’t heal. He has to do it. He has to take it to God and really deal with it. All I can do is come along side him and give him a safe place to fall.

What love is this, that you gave your life for me And made a way for me to know you And I confess, you’re always enough for me Always enough for me Always enough for me

On difficult days, I need to look to Jesus. Because I need a safe place to fall too.

Love, Semalee

If you’re a new reader to the blog, today is Music Monday. Every Monday I take a moment to blog on a worship song to get us in the right mindset for the week. If you have any worship songs that you love, please share! I may just feature a song you recommend here on Music Monday!